This is the sound of post-rave culture chopped up and spitviolently back at the heads of those who remember what it was like totweet on whistles incessantly in a warehouse at five in the morning,but it's also a trip through Mathhead's unique headspace by way of hissampler. Mathhead'sdebut for Reduced Phat represents the most fun I've had with abreakbeat record in some time. 

Blackshaw might well have been outgunned by the more famous style-fusing traditional guitar players (e.g. Fahey, Rose and Chasny) in terms of recognition, but things look likely to be on the turn. After the 12 string sucker punch combination of Celeste and Sunshrine releases, this gatefold Important (and important) release consolidates his position as more than just an up-and-comer.

After nearly three years of relative incubation, Aereogramme hasresurfaced with a monster EP showcasing, in only 32 minutes, theirrepertoire of noise, affinity for technology, mastery of songcraft,lust for those heavy metal chords, and respect of beautiful pop.  Ifthat's not enough, Seclusion comes equipped with a music video,repeated (same video, different songs), directed by Steven Morrison andpaying homage to Japanese horror directors Hideo Nakata and TakashiShimizu.

Bubbles is justwhat I had hoped for this collaboration, only a debut in the most officialsense as Allien and Sascha Ring (Apparat) have been working together and sideby side for several years, on remixes, each other’s records, and helping runtwo of Berlin’s best label’s, Bpitch Control and Shitkatapult.  I’ve heard both artists evolve over the pastfive years and become more similar in sound.

Nearly four years after crafting Playthroughs Keith Fullerton Whitman is finally returning to the sound that practically defined his place among the masters of experimental music. Working again with processed guitar, Whitman has modified the setup used to write Playthroughs and come away sounding fresh and exciting once more. This time around the music is more prodigious and towering than ever, a wall of incandescent guitars backed by the flicker of digital starlight.

When I was 16, I saw the Spanish group Aina play for about 30 people insomeone’s living room in Washington, DC. It was the first or seconddate on what was to ultimately be their last tour of the States beforedisbanding. While this may seem like a somewhat random way to start offa review for another band, the experience nonetheless left animpression. Aina sounded like one of the best bands I had heard at thatpoint, boasting a full sound literally dripping with jagged hooks andan anthemic quality that recalled Jawbox–how was it they weren’tselling out clubs all over the place?

Homosexual artwork and unconventional approaches aren't enough to get me badmouthing the newest from Liars. Plenty of complaints have been unfairly leveled upon this now awkward trio, most of them having to do with the fact that the music sounds intentionally difficult and unfocused. Drum's Not Dead is devoid of shock tactics, however, and the music is a shimmering, chaotic, and surprisingly pretty mess.

Alex Neilson (Directing Hand, Taurpis Tula, the One Ensemble of Daniel Padden) and Frank Janiurek’s new project magnificently combines acoustic experiments, digital breakdowns, slow drone and vocal melody. This 3" CDR’s single 22 minute long track further reinforces the idea of free percussive playing as a thing of beauty, not of noise.

The last time around Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss delivered what everyone thought was their scathing political record. Reading interviews with them, however, suggests the band are far more personal than that and therefore more exciting and insightful. Quasi's latest on Touch and Go is stripped down, grittier, and perhaps just a little brighter than anything else they've done. Quasi may have found some room in their music for hope.

Acid Mothers Temple have no shame, and that's not such a bad thing.They've taken aim at their idols before by approximating the albumcovers or titles of Hendrix, Zappa, and King Crimson, among others, andhave paid tribute to the likes of Hawkwind and Gong. This time they settheir sights on Black Sabbath, even going so far as to reenact thecover of Sabbath's first album, with Acid Mother guru Kawabata Makotoenrobed before a countryside home. With their other tributes, theobject of reverence is a starting point, not a destination in itself,and this one proves to be no exception.

With lyrics hinting of violence, repression, and longing, Liz Durrettmaintains an air of soured innocence, as if grappling with thetransgressions she's witnessed and whether or not forgiveness ispossible. She mines decidedly different territory with her evocation ofa haunted South. Personal tragedies, hiding places, and the unravelingof mysteries infect her second album with a melancholy as insidious asthe kudzu she invokes on her track "Creepyaskudzu." Although she playsguitar on all but one of the tracks, her use of the instrument servesmore as a backdrop since the emotional weight of the material restsalmost solely on her voice.

Ivan Pavlov’s new album evokes the feeling of flying. Above Air is an apt title for this release. The music here sounds like it could almost be recordings of stratosphere. There is a vast spaciousness in the music that I haven’t detected before in Pavlov’s work. It is reminiscent of Coil’s work as ELpH, it is not quite of this world but not quite alien either.

Although Cave is listed first, the influence of Warren Ellis dominatesthe songs. Many are instrumentals constructed from gentle violindrones, with occasional piano, plucked guitar, and drums. Thearrangements bring to mind imagery common to Westerns: dust, anoverbearing sun, sweat. 

Likethe one done for Schoolhouse Rock several years ago, this tribute toDimension 5 Records features current artists covering (or remixing)educational children's songs. From army ants to using your imagination,their songs taught about the world outside (and inside) and made it fun.

Before I found the solo releases of Heather Leigh, the only solo pedal steel player I was familiar with was American Music Club’s Bruce Kaphan. Where he built a bed of sound and fleshed out songs with single colour washes of sound, Leigh is an all-around more powerful, complex, and unreserved player. This is not only a reinvention of the instrument, a yanking from its subtle country roots, but also her best recorded work to date.

Mush'srecent reissue of Pedro's debut album brings the UK producer's subtle blendof downtempo beats and minimalist pop melodies to a stateside audience.If the album's nine tracks of superbly produced mood music aren'tenticing enough, Mush has been kind enough to throw in the "Fear andResilience" remix single for good measure.

Daniel Menche gets a lot of respect from almost everyone who likes or makes noise. Perhaps it's because Menche has a sandwich named after him in the northwest; a sandwich so full of spice and flavor that it has caused sensory overload in some and sent others into a blissful and traumatic episode.

This split from two of the newest wave of black metal was originally released on LP two years ago. It quickly sold out but thankfully has been reissued with four extra tracks. Both Malefic and Wrest’s status have grown immensely since the original release thanks to their recent collaborations with Sunn O))) and demand for their own work has increased accordingly. Although neither artist sounds remotely like Sunn O))), both have far more in common with Norwegians who hang around churches with Zippos.

I'm not used to Ms. John Soda feeling fuzzy. Their sound tends to be more crisp, precise, and often coolly (if not coldly) digital, as if you could feel the ones and zeros scraping past your ears. But "A Nod on Hold," the opening song from Notes and the Like, is teeming with a bubbly electronic bed, couched in a serenade of strings.  It's fluffier and warmer than usual for the band, who espouse a pop-electronic ethos while still clinging to a rock ideal which helps to make their songs more angular.

Kamerman finds the vein and plots a course for the dark arterial parts that elude many other artists. These two pieces are messily organic noise improvisational / compositional voyages that map out the kind of areas that is often alluded to but rarely visited.